Whisper
by Spelljammer
Summary: AU. L is the world's greatest paranormal investigator. During his travels he encounters Light Yagami, a high schooler who can speak with the dead. [LxLight slash]
1. Beyond The Invisible

Whisper

by Spelljammer

Summary: AU. L is the world's greatest paranormal investigator. During his travels he encounters Light Yagami, a high-schooler who can speak with the dead. L/Light slash.

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, this is a not for profit work. Beyond The Invisble does not belong to me either.

Warnings: Slash/yaoi, profanity, violence, adult sexual situations.

Author's Note: For those who love L, a treat for his upcoming birthday. This story is in the style of _Ghost Whisperer, The Sixth Sense, The Dead Zone _and _Six Feet Under_.

Be aware of spoilers (like L's name) even though this is a AU. And many canon facts are different for this story. I hope you like this interpretation/arrangement of the characters.

* * *

_I look into the mirror_

_See myself, all over me_

_I need space for my desires_

_I have to dive into my fantasies_

_I know as soon as I'll arrive_

_Everything is possible _

_Cause no one has to hide_

_Beyond The Invisible_

Enigma "Beyond The Invisible"

* * *

Name 01: Beyond The Invisible

Once upon a time there was a lonely man who embarked on a journey. He grew up an only child in an orphanage and had no friends. He was a quiet boy and kept to himself often. He noticed many of the children his age had unfortunate brushes with death in the form of parents and loved ones that would never come to pick them up.

Such as himself.

He began to question the Great Mysteries. Where do we go when we die? What is death? Can there ever be a bridge between the living and dead? He took a great interest in science, religion, spirituality and philosophy. At the age of 6.

The adults tested the young child and celebrated him as a true genius. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be close to a living prodigy, but the child hated to get close to other people. He most definitely loved people and even wanted to make them happy but if people get close to you then they could be taken away as well. This terrified him so he pretended to be nothing more than a Living Machine capable of the most amazing feats of computation, memory and reference. A Machine beneficial to all people, that you take out when necessary and put away when you have finished your work.

There was a gentleman who admired everything this Fantastic Machine could do and was in a position to give it (him) anything in this world. So the pair became a team and their mission statement was simple: debunk any supernatural or paranormal claims. With the fakes out of the picture and discredited all that would be left would be the genuine article which could be dissected at will.

And so began the legend of the world's greatest paranormal investigator L.

Midnight. A room in one of the highest class hotels in the world and L was its permanent resident. The room glowed in an unearthly color since all of the lights were out save for the laptop monitor L worked on sitting on the floor. All the tables, chairs and pictures in the large room were covered in white sheets like the room was in the process of moving or being painted. L explained he liked white because the color calms him down. It certainly explained why he almost exclusively wore the same kind of white sweatshirt everywhere, at least to L anyway.

He was currently typing a book about parapsychology debunking mediums and fortunetellers while making a clear case for certain things that hadn't been explained yet. These books he wrote under the name "Erald Coil" usually helped supplement his vast income and keep him from getting too bored. He also made the top of the New York Times bestseller list regularly.

At 12:30 exactly L saved his work and went to the bathroom. He splashed water on his pallid face and made sure his jeans were zipped up and belted (many times he would walk out in public with his underwear hanging out) then put on a ragged pair of sneakers and walked out of his room. Between 12:30 and 1:46 AM L would go out to the local convenience store and buy bags of Hostess cupcakes, twinkies, a box of Screaming Yellow Zonkers, Strawberry Zingers along with a Big Gulp Slurpee if the local store was a 7-11 depending on the country he was in. He could easily ask Watari to do this before he retired for the night but L wanted the slight half mile exercise.

Tonight the religious routine got disrupted but not too unpleasantly. L reached the elevator to be greeted by one of his colleagues as she was walking out of the elevator. She was very pretty, long black hair, pale skin with delicate features. She also was decked out in a black leather jacket.

"Misora-san? Is something wrong?" L said startled at seeing the young woman, Naomi Misora once again.

"Ryuuzaki-san. Ano..er, could I talk to you about something?" Naomi said switching over to English. L put on a small puppy face.

"I was going on a snack run, is it important?"

"I can walk with you and talk about it if you wish."

"Thank you, Misora-san. Or is it Penber-san now?" L said as he and Naomi got in the elevator together.

"About that..." Naomi began to explain her situation to L.

After Naomi finished her story the two were halfway down the block and fast approaching a Chevron gas station.

"It's like nobody cares he's gone or anything. I hate it. I know he went to Japan for a international law enforcement conference but I swear it's as if he disappeared off the face of earth or something." Naomi huffed.

"Your fiance is in the FBI, perhaps he went undercover?" L said in a steady voice as he shambled along the pavement.

"Hey, I was in the FBI too! I know how these things work." Naomi huffed. "Look, all I'm asking is that when I go over to Japan that maybe if you aren't too busy you could come with me. It would be a great help to me." Both of them went through the automatic doors. Some of the other people inside the store pretended not to stare at L, but L pretended not to notice them noticing him.

"I intended to go to Japan anyway. I could help you while I'm there." L then went to the snack aisle steeling himself against all the strange looks he got from the others.

"Thank you! May I ask what brings you to Japan?"

"Some kid named Light Yagami. Many people are convinced he can talk to the dead." L said as he swiped confections back and forth. "Did you want some?" L asked but Naomi shook her head no.

"Maybe I should consult with him too." Naomi mused.

"If you wish." L simply stated. The two young women in the back getting some milk almost flinched when L walked near them to get to the register. They thought he was some messed up heroin junkie out for a midnight snack run. L, as usual, paid nobody else any mind except for Naomi.

"Some people are just awful." Naomi said quietly.

"Ignore them."

L hastily paid for his treats and the clerk couldn't put them in the bag fast enough. L and Naomi left the Chevron. The two women and the clerk started talking behind their back.

"How gross, does he even shower?"

"I know, I hope that never happens to me!"

"They say all the bad people come out at night."

"I hope some halfway house isn't missing one of their residents."

But they didn't say a single thing about Naomi.

* * *

Many days later in Japan, a handsome young man came home from school. He lived a good life and he had a good family. He lived a very charmed life thanks to his high intellect that almost everyone else took for granted. The only thing that disrupted the smooth pristine waters of the life he lead was that he also happened to be one of those people who could see the dead and those that associated with them. This person was Light Yagami.

"I'm home."

"Hello, dear. Welcome home." Light's mother Sachiko smiled expectantly at him. Light was clueless for only a second then he sighed.

"Here are the test results." He opened his book bag and handed over the results of the mock exam he took earlier. Sachiko looked over them.

"Excellent as always! I can't wait to tell my mahjong group what a splendid son I have."

"All I am is a standardized test score to you right?" Light asked sullenly.

"Don't be silly dear of course I love you. I better start tonight's dinner." she said not even looking up or even paying attention to her obviously troubled son.

"I'll be studying." Light said walking to his bedroom.

"Need anything? Snacks, fresh bedding, things like that?"

"No mother, I'm fine." Light said flatly and closed his bedroom door abruptly. He gave a labored groan when he sat on his bed. The same thing day in and day out. The same boring people. The same shallow, decaying sea of humanity he had to deal with. Light changed out of his mustard yellow school uniform and into his usual casually elegant fare. He checked himself out in the mirror. A few minutes longer than necessary.

"Yep, I always fall hard for the peacock set. Every time." a harsh gravelly voice spoke.

"Hey, Ryuk." Light said not missing a beat. Laying very shamelessly across his bed was a large black creature known as a Shinigami. Light's ability which allowed him to see ghosts and poltergeists also gave him a rare "backstage pass" into the world of the undead. He could see all kinds of death related creatures and spiritual beings. One of the first creatures he saw was Ryuk and Ryuk sort of attached himself to the teen. Like parasitical attachment.

"If I could create something of beauty I'm sure it would be in your own image Light-boy."

"You're a god. Get to work."

"What crawled out of your ass today?"

"Just the usual. I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Try being me. I got a whole planet to deal with."

"At least you get to kill people everyday. Me, I'm stuck taking tests with concepts I mastered years ago."

"Hmph, all my kills have to be recorded and processed. Death is a tightly regulated industry you know!"

"I hate this." both Light and Ryuk said simultaneously. They both looked at each other and laughed just a little bit.

"Hey, do you wanna go out flying? It's a full moon tonight." Ryuk asked. Sometimes the shinigami would take Light out and fly around town with him in his arms.

"I got cram school tonight and some errands to run. I need to study now anyway."

"Study? Isn't that Light speak for 'I'm going homicidal, leave me alone'?"

"I need to _study_." Light gritted between his teeth.

"Fuck, you're such a bitch at times. It's real hard hanging around you." Ryuk pouted.

"Humans don't exist solely for your enjoyment."

"Same to you!"

Light almost rolled his eyes.

"Going to the kitchen now!"

"Don't let anyone see you eating."

"I'm sly."

"Sly like a piece of cardboard."

"I'm not listening to a girly-boy la, la, la!"

Thus Light went on living for the remainder of the day. He studied diligently at the local cram school and class let out same time as usual. His classmates relieved at the hard work that was over either goofed off, grabbed a bite to eat or just generally led carefree lives. Light had other things on his mind.

Like a child walking around with his face burnt off.

People walking around with missing limbs.

A man who walked around with his neck broken.

An unfortunate woman with a stab wound deep in her chest.

These were the people Light could see, the people the rest of the world could not and in some cases forgot about. Some good came out of his ability to talk with the dead however. Many unsolved murder cases became solved thanks to breaks provided by the victims themselves. Light tried to be as anonymous as possible in these dealings but he felt more and more closed in as the years passed on. On his way home from the store Light met somebody that would start him on the path that changed his life.

"Yagami Light?"

"Yes...oh it's you!"

"Ah, so you remember me?"

"Yeah, Raye Penber from the American Federal Bureau of Investigations. You and my father worked together during that recent law enforcement conference."

"Yes, your father was a prominent keynote speaker."

"Did you wish to speak with him?"

"Well, no...I needed to speak with you, personally." The older man looked a little embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. Light, as usual, seemed to be ahead of the game.

"So you've heard what I can do then?"

"Yes."

"Did you want to talk in private later?" Light asked. Raye took out a business card with contact information on it. Light pocketed it without a second thought.

"At your earliest convenience Mr. Yagami."


	2. Gleaning The Fields

Author's Note: "Whisper" is my best debut on ever. Thank you friends! From the various comments I'm very surprised no one ever thought to play up the spirit chaser angle yet. **I revised Chapter 1 but it's nothing major.** I just did it to bring it in line with the rest of my story.

_

* * *

_

_Close your eyes_

_Just feel and realize_

_It is real and not a dream_

_I'm in you and you're in me_

_It is time to break the chains of life_

_If you follow you will see_

_What's beyond reality_

Enigma "Beyond The Invisible"

* * *

Name 02: Gleaning The Fields 

_Lawliet stood barefoot on barren soil. He could feel the jagged dirt pain his curling toes. The sky was a dark slate gray and overcast with storm clouds. He took two steps forward, unsure of the terrain. He felt no fear at his new surroundings. He felt no peace either. In the distance he saw a copse of cherry blossom trees. He felt himself floating in a forward direction as if he were on a conveyor belt. In his peripheral vision he saw hideous twisted creatures with wings. They were colored in black, gray, and ashen white. When he turned his head to face them directly they vanished. He felt himself fast approaching the copse of sakuras. The breeze kicked up and the trees shed the blossoms making them fly through the air like a pale rainstorm. Just on the edge of the copse stood "someone" dressed in a trenchcoat. Lawliet knew instinctively that this was not his beloved Watari, the one who helped him stand up._

_As he floated towards the figure faster and faster a profound emotion overtook Lawliet's body. It was a curious mixture of dread and pure, morbid excitement. Being defenseless, the dread won out over curiosity about the mysterious figure and it made Lawliet awaken._

L snapped awake at once. He immediately took in his somewhat unfamiliar surroundings. The chairs, tables, pictures and other furniture were all covered in white sheets as usual but the positions were all different. The walls were all a beige color instead of the off white color they were in the last hotel. He turned around to see Naomi working on one of his laptops on the couch. The Tokyo skyline started to glow orange in the light of daybreak.

"You're up."

"Yes. How long was I napping?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"I see. Have you made any progress on Light Yagami?"

"He's the son of Soichiro Yagami, chief of the National Police Association. He just recently got featured in _51 Report, _the leading publication of paranormal phenomenon in Japan right now. He consistently earns the number one spot in any kind of test he takes in both mock exams, and the real thing. He is has the qualifications and the IQ for being a genius..."

"And he is quite handsome as well." L flatly broke in.

"Er...yes, I suppose so." Naomi looked up to see L reading the _51 Report_ article. L scanned the article for a few minutes.

"All of this tells me a lot of things already, but further observation could always be useful."

"What kind of person do you think he is?"

"The kind nobody ever says 'no' too. The kind who always gets his own way. He never has to work hard for anything nor has he ever known true pain or suffering. The likelihood of this person being spoiled and angry is very high."

"Yes, but he could also be a kind philanthropist as well. With his father's job and his alleged abilities he could feel a need to solve other people's problems."

"Which is why further observation is needed. Judging by his low-key responses to the magazine interview he is either humble or dislikes his own talents, paranormal or otherwise." L then bit his thumb as his other index finger caressed the magazine picture of Light. _It also sounds as if you would get hurt and mad at other people suffering which would lead to poor calls of judgment. _L decided to hold off his own personal judgments until he observed Light first hand. From this initial intelligence gathered it already sounds like he was the total opposite of L. A prospect that L didn't entirely favor. _Yet, I still need to see this person. _He absently thought. He then walked over to the window and looked outside. "Light Yagami...Night God's Moon. Even his name carries an unusual amount of grace and thought."

"I wouldn't name my child Light though."

"Why is that Misora-san?"

"If the devil connotations weren't enough, I'd also not want my own kid being made fun of so easily on the playground."

"Lucifer is too western a reference, unless you and your fiance were planning on living in the states?"

"San Francisco, to be precise." Naomi then closed the laptop. "I guess this is as good of time to tell you as any. Light's father and Raye worked together at the International Law Enforcement Conference or ILEC. Yagami-san lead a keynote speech and a roundtable discussion about how different government agencies can work together efficiently during a national crisis."

"Penber-san would taking notes and give the recommendations to upgrade the current Homeland Security model?"

"Hey, no Homeland Security cracks, we get enough of that from Comedy Central! Raye is working hard to get a transfer to that department so he could get a regular daily schedule."

"With the goal of starting a family. I assumed that's why you left the FBI so early?"

"Family...yes." L noticed Naomi's uneasiness. "What I want to know is why hasn't he came home yet without telling me anything? He was part of the American contingent of the conference and Raye's group covered communication and intelligence. Everything is out in the open and nothing about this was classified information."

"Our two goals seem to intersect vaguely, yet we can't dismiss this connection outright. I think we should investigate the Yagami family then we can ask Yagami-san if anything unusual happened to Penber-san."

"Sounds good, perhaps we should..."As Naomi moved across the room, her arm brushed against the side of a glass vase full of white lilies making the vase crash to the floor. "Aw, damn it! I'm sorry Ryuuzaki-san. Forgive me?"

"It's no problem, Misora-san. I'll have Watari get a new vase." L then very carefully picked up the still dripping lilies and put them on the desk that was beside the couch. "I think my cover story will be as another reporter for another paranormal magazine and you can ask Soichiro Yagami any questions you want to."

"Well, I did want to ask Light some questions too."

"Okay, you can come with me then."

"Great, I need to use the restroom."

"It's over by the kitchen."

"Thanks." Naomi then went to the restroom. L's sole confidante, Watari, then entered the room holding a silver tray of chocolate covered strawberries with tea and honey.

"Master L were you talking to someone?" Watari set the tray down on the sheet covered table.

"Yes, my colleague Misora-san. She's in the restroom right now." Watari looked over towards the restroom and saw the light on. He also heard some running water.

"I understand. It's just that I didn't see anyone else with you lately."

"It's quite alright. We need a vase as well." L gestured towards the broken glass.

"Right away, sir. Are you in need of anything else today?"

"Nothing too pressing except for chauffer service, maybe some back issues of _51 Report_, extra memory cards for the digital cameras, an extra tape recorder. Ah, yes! Be sure to get a new EMF detector as our last one got damaged."

"Very good, sir. Shall I retrieve the night vision goggles and thermal imaging equipment?"

"Not at this time. This will just be an initial reconnaissance on the subject."

"Very well." Watari then bowed and departed the room. Naomi then finished in the bathroom and opened the door.

"Were you just talking with someone?" Naomi then asked.

"Yes, my associate, Watari. You just missed him. He brought some breakfast. Want some?" L gestured to the plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Oh no, nothing like that for me. I'm just a miso and rice kinda girl in the morning. Now, Raye, he'd want the whole nine yards: pancakes, sausage, french toast, eggs and practically a gallon of orange juice." Naomi smiled fondly at having Sunday morning breakfast with Raye. Usually eating out since she really hadn't gotten a handle on cooking yet. L noticed the gentle, yet sad warmth in Naomi's expression.

"I'm sure Penber-san is okay. Like you, he has full training."

"I know, but the first thing they tell you is to always call for backup." Naomi then sat down and gave a sigh. "I know I sound paranoid but I have this very awful feeling something...significant, I guess that's word, is going to arrive and upend our lives." Naomi looked out towards the bustling cityscape. "Ryuuzaki-san, do you ever get that feeling?"

"Almost everyday, sadly." and both knew the response wasn't the throwaway sarcasm kind of one.

* * *

Later that afternoon. 

"Woooo! Light-boy's going on a date!"

"It's not a date."

"So why are you putting on your date clothes then?"

"I just want to make a good impression. Besides, the restaurant is a trendy place and I guess I want to relax as well." Light said as he began to go into his closet. He knew saying "restaurant" would give a date impression but Light was in a feisty mood.

"Don't humans dine together when they wanna fuck each other?" Ryuk asked.

"Not always!!" Light groaned, rather alarmed at this line of reasoning. As he very seriously considered his clothing options he noticed that the place his school uniform usually hung up was replaced by a curious white sweatshirt. Light swore he never owned such a thing since it looked like it was secondhand.

"I guess you seem to like older people since a you take a lot of older women for a ride. Literally, hyuk, hyuk!" Ryuk bounced on Light's bed.

"Not a whole lot! You make me sound cheap!" Light turned to Ryuk. "Stop bouncing on the bed before you put a hole in the wall or something."When Light turned around his uniform was back in the normal place. He shrugged it off and decided to dress in the white long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants and brown leather dress shoes.

"Ryuk."

"Yeah?"

"Stop drooling."

"I'm NOT! I'm just impressed with you."

"So you say." Light replied coolly then combed his hair and looked in the mirror for a good few minutes. After that he took his wallet and cell phone and went out into the hallway and down the stairs. As he looked into the dining room Light saw something strange. The table was covered in candy bar, instant cake and other assorted confection wrappers, making it look trashed and ugly. Light's little sister, Sayu was in the living room watching television.

"Sayu-chan, did you make a mess in the dining room?"

"What mess, big brother?" Sayu asked without looking up from the TV. Light turned to the dining room only to see that it was in its usual immaculate state.

"Never mind."

"Are those people talking to you again?"

"They always talk with me." Light replied. His paranormal ability was a delicate subject with his family.

"Going out with some girl?"

"What's it to you?"

"I feel sorry for her. It's tough being one of a crowd." Sayu replied with the same amount of bite Light did.

"It's not a girl, it's another guy. And it's not a date." he hastily put the last part in.

"It's alright to try new things sometimes."

"Don't you start too! My cell phone is on so you guys can reach me if something happens."

"Okay, I'll tell mom when she comes back."

"Thanks."

So Light left from home and took a train downtown to the restaurant that Penber wanted to talk at. On his way he saw a little boy with red hair and fair skin. He peeked inside the window into the train car.

While the train was in a tunnel.

"What do you need?"

"You can see me?"

"Yes. Were you looking for someone?"

"Someone to talk with."

"You can follow me, if you wish." The little boy thought about it for awhile.

"Okay."

"What's your name." Again the boy hesitated. Then he smiled.

"Edward Sawaguchi."

* * *

"The FBI had a strict anti-fraternization policy so our initial dates and um...sleepovers...had the air of a forbidden love affair, but both us got tired of hiding so we went round, and round over the issue." Naomi explained in the back of a plain, white van. L started a conversation with Naomi not because he wanted small talk (which he hated) but because he wanted to be polite to Naomi who as a normal person, wouldn't like silence. 

"It was either him or your career and you chose him, right?" L flatly replied.

"God, does it really sound that bad?"

"It's the only way I can see Misora-san wasting all that training. Then again, I can't imagine being loved that much so I must be jealous." L said. Naomi wondered about that last statement.

"You don't have to spare my feelings."

"Misora-san crossed an ocean for him. That sounds like what a lot of people classify as love."

"Being made fun of by my co-workers, losing the respect of my superiors, being treated like a child at home on top of all that. Yeah, that can be classified as love."

"Waking up beside someone you trust with all your heart." L countered. At hearing his own words L seemed hold his legs with his arms in a crouching position. _I am jealous. I wish I was above that._

"You have to take their faults as well as their best. That's the way for all relationships though be they family, friendship, comrades, or lovers." Naomi said with a long suffering sigh.

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God will be my God." L recited in a deadpan monotone.

"That's exactly what Raye will say at the altar. Funny, how that works out."

"He told you this?"

"No, I just know. I mean, aside from my own _name _it sounds like something he'd wait his whole life for to say."

"The chance of him expecting you to recite that passage is around 78 percent."

"And it shows, doesn't it? I mean, I pretty much did everything Ruth said she would do. I won't ever apologize for it. I wanted what I got now." The van made its way past a few more blocks before L spoke up again.

"I have someone following Light Yagami. He seems to be going out for a date."

"Spying? That's a little extreme, isn't it?"

"We need to have a proper excuse to talk with Yagami. It's not a huge effort. We'll have him under surveillance, then intercept him with our cover story."Just then a work cell phone L owned started to ring. "Yes, Ryuuzaki speaking." L said as he held the phone upside down between his spindly fingers. "I see. Thank you."

"Yes?"

"Penber. Party of two at _Flammende Rose_."

"Oh, _God_." Naomi looked sick to her stomach.

"I would advise Misora-san not to jump to conclusions yet."

"Can we go there first?"

"Certainly."

* * *

"Your neighbor did what?" Light hissed with anger. 

"If you can see me it's pretty obvious." the boy tartly replied. "Just took me by the neck and wouldn't let go. I'm in a trunk near an abandoned lot." Light then shook his head trying to process that a 12 year old was just murdered.

"What are you holding on to? That is to say, if you are walking around here like this you're missing something important." Light tried to keep his voice down as he made his way through the last block before the restaurant.

"Dunno. I know my mama and grandpa are in heaven since I can't see them. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no! Nothing of the sort. It just means you want to do something REAL important before you go see your mom and grandpa."

"Maybe. I think I want to see my dad and play on my DS lite one more time before I go."

"I can arrange that. I have to get your neighbor out of the way before he does more harm, though."

"Are they gonna book him like in those crime shows?" Edward asked a little excited.

"You bet they will." Light said looking around hoping no one will think he's crazy.

"I'll bet I get my own chalk outline too."

"Er, they'll just leave you in the trunk. You're taking this awfully well." Edward just shrugged

"I'm upset that I was taken from my dad, that's about it."

"What does your dad do?"

"He's a fisherman. My mom was in the U.S military. I'll show you where I live after your date."

"It's NOT a date!" Light grumbled not wanting to get into that again. He saw _Flammende Rose_ up ahead and sure enough it had a upscale look to it. "Could you stick around for me, Edward?"

"Sure thing, mister! By the way were you expecting me?"

"Perhaps. I'm always on guard with the kind of talent I have." _Not to mention those signs I got this afternoon at the house. That sweatshirt and candy wrappers must have signaled his arrival._

"I can play _Pokemon_ standing on my head."

"Isn't that hard?"

"Only for a few minutes."

"I see."

Both Naomi and L saw Light Yagami go up the steps to the _Flammende Rose_. Naomi was speechless while L, looking through his binoculars, was lost in melancholy thought. Seeing Light in person, L knew he was in deep. Seriously deep.

_When will I leave?_

_Where will I go?_

_Who will I follow?_

_Where will I stay?_

_Who are my people?_

His gaze lingered on Light as he made his way inside.

_Who will be my God?_


	3. What She Never Knew

Author's Note: People have been asking me what the opening song to this fanfic would be. I believe it has to be Magenta Rain by Nanase Aikawa but the lyrics would be used in a sad, ironic manner.

Disclaimer: What You Never Know belongs to Sarah Brightman.

* * *

_What you never know won't hurt you_

_What you never know won't lie_

_What you never know won't desert you_

_What you never know won't say goodbye..._

from "What You Never Know" by Sarah Brightman.

* * *

Name 03: What She Never Knew 

The Misora Household -One Year Ago-

"Goodness, Naomi-chan, you sure like to reinvent your life every few years."

"It really seems that way mother. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, I think as long as you're happy it's alright."

Naomi and her mother sat in the living room of her parents apartment on one sunny Friday afternoon. Naomi's mother prepared some green tea at the kitchenette for just the two of them to enjoy. Even though the apartment was woefully small, the furnishings were nice, clean and put away properly and the place was cozy and inviting. Naomi, for the most part, seemed a bit uneasy after announcing her engagement and intent to leave the FBI to her mother. It seemed like only yesterday she announced she was leaving for Quantico to be an agent in this very spot. "So tell me about him, what's he like?" her mother asked as she put the cups of hot tea on the table. She sat beside her daughter as she took a picture out of her purse. It's a picture that was taken when her and Raye were at a pier side market they liked to visit on weekends. He didn't want his picture taken but Naomi insisted it was high time to have a couples photo. It went on to become Raye's favorite picture.

"You did well for yourself, dear."

"Oh mother, please." Naomi sported a goofy grin as she brushed a long strand of hair from her face.

"I'm assuming you both are planning on having a family."

"The whole leaving the FBI thing gave me away?" Naomi sighed as she stirred her tea.

"His kind face looks like the type who would want to support his family well." which Naomi read as 'He looks like a traditional alpha male'.

"I met him through work, and he's considering asking for a department transfer."

"That's good to hear. Whenever I'm playing pachinko with my girlfriends we talk about men all time especially when someone re-marries. It's a little strange to have a discussion about this in my own house." Naomi's mother laughed a little while Naomi just gave a small grin.

"Go ahead and ask me then."

"Oh, what?"

"Anything."

"Tell me about his favorite things. That's a good way to see if you really know him."

"Ah, the old green card test. Let's see. He's a big fan of Queen though he'll never tell his fellow co-workers that. Innuendo and Who Wants To Live Forever are his favorite songs. I personally bought three Greatest Hits CD's for him and all I ever hear when he's working at home is Bohemian Rhapsody. His favorite dish is sweet and sour chicken and even when we go out to a five star Chinese restaurant he'll order that like it was going out of style."

"Sounds like your father and his preoccupation with salmon."

"Exactly. Raye's says when you've found something good you stick with it." Both women laughed softly. Naomi's mother drank her tea and waited for her daughter to continue. "Hmm, what else? Oh! When it gets around winter time or when we're in a cold climate area he has these very loud sweaters he likes to wear. Lime green, construction orange, sometimes plaid and purple. He says it's in case of a blizzard or something it's so people can find him. I tried buying new ones at Sears--that's a department store--' she added at her mother's questioning look 'and he wears them for a little bit then he goes back to those awful colored ones."

"Maybe they have special significance to him?"

"They must because he dresses just fine the rest of time. His favorite sports he likes watching are lacrosse and soccer and I have a satellite in my apartment just so he can watch the extra games they won't put on cable. When we were still dating he joked that he would someday try to find a way to combine soccer and lacrosse into one sport." And by 'dating' she meant 'lying naked in bed after an all day sex marathon', but she discreetly left that part out. Naomi took a sip of her tea. "I hope Raye and father get along well."

"I think you passed the hardest hurdle so far. Your father is rather laid back as far as relationships go." She then gave a smirk. "Of course, your father also wanted to ship you off to a convent." Naomi gave a rough, un-ladylike snort.

"I don't see the reason why. I was a good girl all throughout school."

"He called it a preemptive strike."Naomi broke out in a fit of giggles. Her mother smiled at seeing her normally tense daughter relax.

-Present Day-

Flammende Rose presented itself more like a trendy nightclub than an upscale restaurant. The lighting had a soft dark blue tint to it and there was this metallic theme that ran throughout the place. A small crowd of twenty-somethings congregated at the bar laughing and flirting. Edward amused himself by looking at an aquarium with his ghostly presence unnoticed by everyone except for Light. Light, in spite his age, actually did not look out of place thanks to his clothing decisions made earlier that afternoon. Raye had a regular businessman look to him and when the drinks were poured and menus taken, they started in earnest.

"So Mr. Penber, how may I help you?" Light spoke in perfect English. He brimmed with straight forward confidence and this thew Raye's perception a little bit.

"Let me start by saying I never expected to see Chief Yagami's son in an issue of _51 Report _while waiting on an airplane."

"Father would have to agree with that statement."

"Are your alleged abilities a sore spot with your family?"

"You could say that. My father doesn't want to believe it even though the proof is overwhelming in my favor. My mother pretends nothing is wrong and my sister is scared of me. All of them saw my...talent...on many different occasions."

"I don't really want to believe this metaphysical stuff myself, but I'm at wits end about a situation I'm in right now. If you could do even a cold reading..."

"If you wanted a cold reading, why not ask a profiler then?" Light thought he should be offended by the con artist implication but he was curious in what personal problems a foreign government agent could want his power for. Professional problems were something he could understand as the Kanto region's cold case files began to be solved at an astounding rate thanks to his behind the scenes efforts. Dead men tell the best tales, after all. Ryuk didn't think so, but Light never put much stock in what Ryuk (or anyone else) thought. After some quiet thought by both men Penber gently brought Light to the here and now.

"Certain members of my extended family may be in some kind of distress."

"Distress? As in paranormal distress?" Light asked. Raye sighed and looked hesitant to say more.

"I..._guess_. I don't know what to believe any more. This situation is so fouled up, it's just..."

"Wait. Why don't we back up and start your story from the beginning, shall we? Don't worry about sounding strange or foolish. I'll help even if it's a totally normal situation that develops. Not everything has to be supernaturally related, sometimes the strangest situations can be resolved by ordinary means." Light's personal charisma made him seem ten times more mature than many adults Raye worked with on a daily basis. This set off a warning bell in Raye's mind, but as to what he was afraid of, it was some unknown quality he couldn't articulate. It only felt as if Light Yagami was on a completely different mental level than he was comfortable with and that really bothered him. Genius notwithstanding.

"Such maturity! Your father should be happy with you."

"Sometimes he is."

"Very well, Mr. Yagami. The problem I have is..."

* * *

"I believe Yagami and Penber have a meeting together in the restaurant and it's not of an illicit nature. Correction. Probability of a clandestine, illicit rendezvous is at five percent." L stated. Naomi just rolled her eyes. 

"Okay, I believe the non-illicit part of this but what could Raye possibly want from an alleged psychic medium?"

"Mediumship is only a part of Yagami's life, there is also the genius factor to consider, and the law enforcement factor to consider as well." L said while still staking out the front door of the restaurant from his van. _However, it might very well be the spiritual mediumship that is the primary factor. My sincerest hope is to be wrong about this factor though because..._

"I think we should go in." Naomi said interrupting L's thoughts.

"We don't have reservations." L replied. Naomi could tell he was stalling but she didn't understand why.

"We'll just say we're with Raye, Ryuzaki-san." L bit the flat side of his palm for a brief while then looked directly at Naomi.

"As you wish." L said as he opened up the back door and let Naomi out first. "Please wait for us around the corner." L said to the driver.

"Sure thing."

"Would you be so kind as to set up the DVD player while I'm gone?"

"No problem...um, mister?" The driver asked.

"Yes?" L replied not even sparing a glance up front.

"Never mind, everything will be set up in a few minutes."

"Thank you." _I think I know what you were going to ask. I don't have an answer yet._ L thought as he hopped out of the van and shuffled along the sidewalk in his usual manner, getting all kinds of strange looks from ordinary people.

* * *

"May I present a roasted rack of lamb with rosemary along with the sweet and sour chicken." The waiter announced proudly as he took the lid off the steaming hot dishes. 

"Ah, the chicken is mine." Raye said as he and Light immediately put their linen napkins on their laps. The waiter placed a large plate of sweet and sour chicken on a bed of rice in front of Raye.

"This looks splendid!" Light exclaimed as the waiter put a rack of lamb in front of Light. The scent of the meat made Light very hungry. As he began to eat his gourmet meal, a secret, childish part of his mind he kept hidden from public view made him feel very much like an a adult. A full grown adult instead of a high schooler constantly trying to pass himself off as a mature, serious person. Which is when Edward stood beside their table as the waiter took his leave.

"I haven't ate in about a month. Does that taste good?" Edward asked. Light ignored him as he began to cut into his lamb with a knife. "I'm bored. I'm not hungry or thirsty anymore and no one talks to me."

"Pass the salt please."

"Sure thing, Mr. Yagami."

"Hey! I'm RIGHT HERE!" But Light kept on ignoring the little boy. "Oh, I get it. You don't want to sound crazy in front of your sugar daddy. Why did you ask me to come along if you were just going on a subsidized date?" Light was sorely tempted to ask Edward where he heard those adult (and to Light, offensive) terms from but otherwise held his tongue. A couple of minutes passed and Light was buttering some fresh bread rolls. "You're no fun! I'm gonna mess with both of you now!" Edward huffed. _Here we go._ Light thought as Edward leaned over and blew out the candle that was on the side of the table.

"That's strange." Raye said as he saw the candle snuffed out for no reason.

"Edward, knock it off." Light mildly rebuked.

"Excuse me?" Raye asked. Edward then saw a spare napkin folded in a peacock design on the table. He promptly batted it off with his hand sending it falling to the floor.

"Edward, that's enough. I'm sorry, there was this lost child on the train and I said it was alright to come with me." Light said. Raye was quietly calming himself so not to get up and run.

"As in a ghost?"

"I belive the term is "earthbound spirit". I had been using the term "revenant" for a bit, but I found out that usually applies to a corpse that comes out of its grave. Disgusting, huh?"

"I..I'm sure." Of course, Raye couldn't see Edward but both displays Edward did were visible.

"Hey, my body is still in its same place so there's no 'Biohazard' business going on!" Edward sounded like he was going to go into a tantrum.

"Now that I'm paying attention to you, is there anything you wanted to say?" Light deliberately talked down to Edward. This was a ploy. Earthbound Spirits by their very nature are restless creatures holding on to an emotional attachment on the material plane. Light knew from experience if a spirit got angry enough they could affect people and objects on the material plane but couldn't otherwise if they were content. As a matter of fact, if a spirit got content enough it would be free to cross over to the other side on its own power. What Light hoped to accomplish is to present solid proof of his abilities so Agent Penber would believe the things he was saying and not just follow him around with guarded scepticism.

"Yeah! Pay attention to me!" Edward crossed his arms.

"Why not entertain us?" Light asked hoping that whatever Edward would do wouldn't cause too big of scene. Raye looked uncomfortable. Light smirked. Even if they couldn't see earthbound spirits on a regular basis many people could certainly feel their presence. For the most part it felt like being blindfolded in a room with a stranger. The same fear, unease and quiet panic.

"Hmph, don't want to."

"Don't be that way, I'm sorry I ignored you."

"Fine. I'll juggle!" Edward declared as he snatched one of Light's bread rolls. Light panicked a bit as that was too outrageous for a public display. Raye saw the roll yanked into the air and Light pulling it back just as quickly and now he was feeling really uncomfortable. As if the floor wasn't a floor anymore and in its place was a glass bottom over a pit of spikes.

"I'm sorry, we're probably scaring you right now." Light tried to calm himself down as the situation was fast becoming uncontrollable. None of the other patrons were paying attention to them yet. Unfortunately at that very moment Light received a sign. On the table appeared a single raven that started to peck at their eaten food and squawked around making a general ruckus.

"Are you okay, kid?" Raye asked. When Light took a second look the table was normal again.

"Yeah. Did I freak you out?"

"Random flying objects always scare me in my line of work."

"Hey, that's true!" both men then started to laugh. _That's right, let's ease the tension up, give him the "everything will be okay" look..._Light then flashed a warm smile seemingly on command. "You're taking this quite calmly. I thought you'd bolt out of here faster than a _shinkansen_ if you saw any paranormal activity."

"Can't say I'm too comfortable, but if we are to resolve my family situation I guess I'll have to get comfortable." Raye drank his wine down a little faster.

Naomi and L then very abruptly arrived at the table, with Edward moving aside.

"There you are! Look, I'm not really mad or a least as mad as I should be. You haven't called me or anything over the past few weeks. Just tell me what's going on so we can work this out." Naomi said sternly and with restraint as she tried not to call too much attention to themselves on a private matter. Raye had a look of unvarnished horror on his face when he saw Naomi. Light had a rattled expression on his face too. Neither one noticed L as of yet. "You shouldn't try and hide things from me, you know. I was in the FBI, once." Naomi said. To Raye, it felt as if all the sound in the place escaped and the two of them existed in some kind of vacuum. Only Light's voice reached him.

"I take it that this is Naomi, then?"

"Y-yes..."

"Oh, hello. You're Light Yagami, correct?" Naomi asked.

"How did you know?"

"Er...well, you see..."

"I'm a writer for OMNI magazine. I heard that you specialize in contacting paranormal entities." L stated. Both Raye and Light just now noticed L's presence.

"How do you know Naomi then?" Raye asked curiosity overriding his fears.

"Oh! This is Ryuzaki, he and I worked together on a case once, remember?" Naomi said introducing L.

"I thought you worked on that case with some guy named L?"

"Ah..."

"No, this was a case involving ritualistic suicides." L interrupted covering for Naomi.

"I see." Raye viewed L with a mistrust and hostility that, quite frankly, L was used to.

"But what I want to know is why do you need to talk with a medium and why would you keep it a secret? I mean, America has no shortage of that type of person."

"Forgive me for interrupting you, but I just want to say at this time both of us were discussing you." Light said. Raye then broke out in a cold sweat.

"That's...that's right." Penber looked like he was ready to vomit. L went right beside Light and sat feet up over in the chair with horrendous posture. L then helped himself to a jar of honey that was brought with Light's bread basket. Light noticed all of this but chose not to say anything. _Disgusting. This person is some kind of joke. People like him don't exist outside a bad teen 'issues' novel or something. _Light honestly thought L was abusing cocaine or something similar and that he wore his long sweatshirt to cover the track marks. _White sweatshirt?? Wait..._

"Me? Why would you two discuss me for? Come on Raye, what's going on?" Raye looked away from Naomi. "Hey, it can't that bad! I'm here now so fess up!" Now Raye, Light and L weren't looking at Naomi. "Ryuzaki-san, do you know what's going on?"

"At least they're talking to you now lady! Those two were trying to ignore me for a while there." Edward spoke up.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you!" Naomi said looking at Edward. "Why are you at such a grown up place?"

"Bored. Nothing else to do."

"Aren't your parents worried about you?"

"Don't know yet."

"Naomi, who are you talking to?" Raye asked.

"Who am I talking to? Isn't it obvious?" Naomi asked. Light had a pained look.

"Misora-san, it appears that you are talking to yourself." L said not even looking up from his honey bear.

"Don't be silly, Ryuzaki-san there is a little boy right beside me."

"Lady, don't you know..." Edward started.

"Ah! I think Mr. Penber should be the one tell her!" Light cut in.

"Tell me what? You guys are scaring me a little right now. Like you're all part of some vast conspiracy that just formed two seconds ago."

The minutes ticked by slowly. Some people at the bar laughed. Another couple at a different table had a baked Alaska brought to them. L now saw little tubs of grape jelly off to the side and began eating them and the jar of honey. Light carefully moved his seat away from L but L noticed the movement. A few more moments ticked by slow and painfully. Light likened it to blood flowing in the veins of a human body.

"Damn it! What's this about?" Naomi demanded letting her anger finally show. Raye took another shot of wine and was hoping the waiter would interrupt them. No such luck.

"Naomi...don't you know that..." A sign which arrived as the sound of a man screaming in agony interrupted him. Light, Naomi and Edward got startled.

"Is there some kind of problem?" L asked while pouring a packet of sugar in the mini tub of jelly on top of the honey that was already in there, hoping this situation with his Naomi would resolve soon. The whole affair profoundly disturbed him on many levels.

"Did you hear that?" Naomi asked going on alert.

"Hear what?" Raye asked.

"I did!" Light said. "It sounded like a man screaming."

"I heard nothing." L stated plainly.

"No one asked you." Light replied already rather agitated with this outsider.

"That was my dad! Gosh, they must of told him what happened! Listen, it was good talking to you Yagami-san but I need to see if he needs me or not."

"What are you talking about?" Naomi asked bewildered.

"They found my body, I guess." Edward then floated up through the ceiling much to Naomi's astonishment. Light put his hand over his face as he felt downcast while Raye and L didn't know what the hell was going on since Naomi and Light seemed to be having a one-sided conversation. Unfortunately, the current situation got exacerbated when Edward accidently passed through the sprinkler system as he left the building, triggering it.

So Light's party was, at this moment, moody, tense and soaking wet.

* * *

Edward saw his father in an absolute mortified hysteria with the police officers trying to restrain him and offer comfort. Edward didn't know what to do about it since his father couldn't see or hear him. He never saw his father like this before. Not even when he was angry at Edward for something bad he did. It was a side of him he didn't know. 

At approximately 9:00 PM in the back of a white van, an engaged couple confronted a stark reality. A reality which meant a life that could not be shared together. L is very meticulous about his daily life which almost borders on paranoia. That meant his hotel room was constantly under 24 hour video surveillance. The recorded disc showed L talking to himself along with a vase falling over and breaking by itself, and a door opening and closing by itself. Magazines floating in the air, laptops being used and reports printed out by themselves could also be seen on the disc.

No one else could hear Naomi's screaming and cursing at the other three men in the van with her.

What the outside world did take notice of is the fact that all of the street lamps and car windows in the surrounding area shattered spontaneously coupled with the sound of many, many car alarms being set off at once.

Later, the news would go on to report this as a terrorist act. L simply thought of it as grief.


	4. Philosophy In The Bedroom

Draft date: 01/22/08

Disclaimer: Death Note and it's characters are not mine, the quote is from the Marquis de Sade. This is a not for profit work.

* * *

Name 04: Philosophy In The Bedroom 

_Get it into your head once and for all, my simple and very fainthearted fellow, that what fools call humaneness is nothing but a weakness born of fear and egoism; that this chimerical virtue, enslaving only weak men, is unknown to those whose character is formed by stoicism, courage, and philosophy. _

_--Dolmancé _

_from Marquis de Sade's "Philosophy in the Bedroom"_

* * *

It is 1:30 in the morning and Light is still awake in his bedroom. Light sat in his bed dressed in his pajamas. The desk lamp was on but the rest of the room was dark. The events of the past few days still bothered him. He made notes over the whole incident at Flammende Rose up to and including when Naomi got upset and smashed an entire neighborhood's worth of glass. 

He looked around for Ryuk and noticed he was, for once, nowhere to be found. Light sat at his desk and took a manilla folder out of the drawer and assembled his notes properly. _Let's review what's known here_ he thought as he took out some paranormal studies books and his personal diary out as well. He sharpened his pencil and checked off the facts one by one.

---Naomi Misora is dead. Spirit type: earthbound.

---Edward Sawaguchi, 10 years old, is dead. Spirit type: earthbound.

---I saw everyone that day, human and spirit alike.

---Naomi and Edward saw everyone, human and spirit also.

---Naomi could be seen by Penber-san and Ryuuzaki-san.

---Edward could NOT be seen with the naked eye by Penber-san and Ryuuzaki-san.

---Penber-san saw Edward playing at the dinner table but did not get a visual of the child.

---There are two major planes of existence: Material (my world) and Spiritual (afterlife).

---Naomi and Edward most likely are able to see everything because once dead, the veil between the Material Plane and the Spiritual Plane is lifted. (Must check with Ryuk on this!!)

---As far as I know, Ryuuzaki-san and Penber-san can only see Misora-san and not other spirits.

---Earthbound Spirits are powered by the strength of their will.

---Naomi must have an incredibly strong will if she can be seen by certain people and destroy a large neighborhood's worth of glass objects in a moment of anger.

---Edward was murdered by his neighbor and left for dead in an abandoned car.

At this, Light frowned and felt his anger rising. He'd ask his father if there was any news about this particularly malicious case. He looked around to see if Ryuk came back. Nothing. _Typical, when there's any kind of work to be done he's nowhere to be found._ Light continued writing.

---Signs are considered one of the principal ways the Spiritual Plane establishes contact with humans on the Material Plane.

---Sometimes they can be purely a premonition or a warning.

---I was presented a sign about Ryuuzaki-san, but I am unable to figure out why.

---As far as I know, Ryuuzaki-san is a living being. (Not that you can tell by the way he presents himself. Honestly, he was at a high-class restaurant he could do a little extra something!!)

---Ryuuzaki-san is a mystery in of himself. He said he was from OMNI magazine, but OMNI folded some years ago. If he knows Misora-san, a former agent with the FBI, could he be a foreign government agent too?

The very memory of that Ryuuzaki character filled him with disgust. He had the appearance of some kind of mentally retarded, anorexic, drug-abuser. _Why do they let people like that out in public anyway? Isn't there some kind of halfway house or something they could just dump people like that away in?_

The events of the past few days really stressed Light out. In addition to trying to convince his family that he survived not a terrorist attack but a supernatural incident (something that his mother believed but was not exactly comfortable with) he still had many unanswered questions in his mind about Ryuuzaki, Naomi and Edward. He hated unknown factors.

Just then, Ryuk came flying in the bedroom, interrupting Light's thoughts as he put his notes away.

"Damn, you sure know how to cause a scene!"

"I did nothing of the sort. Misora-san freaked out, then took off before I could smooth things over." Ryuk then helped himself to Light's fluffy, soft bed. "Ryuk, isn't it your people's job to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen?"

"We can't devour earthbound spirits, only those housed in a mortal body or those on the other side. It would be like you humans trying to eat a rock off the pavement."

"Yes, but it is possible to eat a rock even if it's not healthy."

"Yeah, but who wants to eat a rock? It tastes terrible and trying to shit it out is the worst."

"Ryuk, have you been eating rocks?" Light asked incredulously.

"Uh,...no. I saw other guys eating rocks and thought it'd be a bad idea." Ryuk didn't sound too convincing.

"..."

"..."

"Moving on, is it possible that when a person has died they can see all the things that were previously hidden in relation to the Spiritual Plane?"

"Hyuk, hyuk. That's a good question, Light-boy."

"Oh, come on!"

"Okay, okay. Seriously, I don't know the specifics except for a couple of things. When souls die and crossover to Spiritual Plane their essence does get a visual reference of their surroundings and they can see where they're going. We don't know what the earthbound sees or does because us Shinigami don't spend a whole lot of time on the Material Plane." _Or are supposed to_ Light thought to himself.

"Basically, you're telling me you don't know if the souls are aware of everything because they died or they became aware of everything because they entered another plane of existence, right?"

"Yeah, that's it. You seem like you're working something out."

"Naomi and Edward saw each other plain as day. Because of that, I think they'll be able to see you. The two didn't seem like they ran into any wandering Shinigami on the way to the restaurant so I can't say for sure yet." Light leaned back in his seat. "Sounds like you don't know how your own world works, that's bad form Ryuk."

"Hey, you try living for a few millennium! It's not like they offer a civics class in the Shinigami Realm!"

"I'd rather think that it would be a combination of civics, biology and geography."Light gathered his papers and Ryuk stuck out his tongue.

"Not my fault. There's stuff even our king doesn't even know and he knows a lot of stuff. I try and ask him but he gets mad at me and busts me upside the head."

"I bet you ask him trivial stuff."

"I'm just a curious guy. I mean if you think about it, there things we know. Then there are things we don't know. There are things we know that we know about. Then there are things out there that are known unknowns. Stuff we don't know about but know that's out there. Then there's this unknown _unknown_ stuff we don't know that's out there or even exists."

"I'm going to bed!" Light interrupted, frustrated with the Death God. _Good grief, there went a few minutes into the void. _Ryuk hopped off the bed to let Light slip under the covers as the lights went out. Ryuk sat near the window and began to brood a little. He watched as a drunken salaryman stumbled at getting home from work in the house across the street. The hulking dark giant began to curl into himself a little and in the dead of night the usually happy-go-lucky creature revealed a somber side to his demeanor.

"I'm not playing around Light. I really don't know a lot. It's pathetic."

"You're telling me." Light replied quietly. Ryuk winced a little at Light's bluntness.

"The world I came from is so fucked up. As gods of death, we all had jobs and we all had a purpose in the beginning. Somehow, we lost our empathy for humans. It's not like we go around saying 'I hate so and so' or 'Let make the human world a great place' or 'Let's destroy everything'. Honestly, the human dominion on the Material Plane is meaningless to the Shinigami. We're just hanging on by a thread, devouring the life force from human beings when their time is up. Stop, rewind, press play again. My world is an absolute wreck. Nobody knows why we're here anymore." Ryuk looked at the clouds as they passed by the half moon slowly. He could tell Light was still awake by the sound of his breathing.

Light carefully considered Ryuk's words. The 17 year old felt that the Shinigami just described the human realm including the 'devouring human lives' part. Awakening to face the day never felt more meaningless and violent than it did in these times. So did forcing yourself to go to school, watch the news, pretend to care about people that you didn't give a shit about, while seeing the world drenched in fire and blood. It all felt so wretched.

Light knew everyone didn't feel this way. Why didn't everyone feel this way? Why couldn't everyone see that the human race was stupid, violent and easily pacified. Humanity felt like it was at complete standstill for all the great achievements it accomplished: science, art and philosophy. Light, as an intellectual (a REAL intellect, not a fake poser), appreciated these things immensely. The masses, however, kept holding on to avarice, to jealousy, to hatred and sloth, all the old ways. If he had any power, any _active_ power, he could mold the world in his own image, one of perfection and radiance. If he had his own way, he would punish the guilty and the depraved, instead offering cold consolation to the lost.

Light hated the world more and more with each breath drawn.

After briefly realizing his own feelings about the state of the world he knew what to say to Ryuk. "Idiot."

"Not now, Light-boy." Ryuk sighed and looked worn which was a strange sight in of itself.

"If anyone else discovered the existence of the Shinigami, not to mention your home on the Spiritual Plane, a hell of a lot of mysteries concerning the universe would be solved."

"You think so?"

"Your life and job is so full of meaning it frightens me. This is true in any age, no matter who sees you." Light then sat up in bed and looked at Ryuk directly. Light's piercing gaze made Ryuk's heart sore from this statement because he still felt insignificant. "Look, if you feel meaningless and empty then you can still turn it around somehow."

"How do you figure?"

"The gnawing pain inside your heart proves that you still have one. That you want something to bring joy and significance to your pathetic existence you call your life. Quite frankly, I'm offended that you don't care about humans. You watched over humans all the time and you've never picked up any human feelings and desires? Without you and your people we'd all be suffering without being able to move onto our final destinations, karmically speaking."

"Yeah, but the whole thing is similar to how you humans drive a giant bus full of people. It's tedious and not very rewarding."

"Hmm, I can understand how you feel." Light then sighed. "Have you ever considered dying?" Ryuk's face twisted in fear.

"You some kinda radical? Of course not!"

"I'm just saying. I think the pains and emptiness stem from a refusal to explore other planes and other states of existence. You could be hurting yourself needlessly by standing still and not moving forward. Hold onto life too much and you lose the best reason for living."

"Only a human would say that!"

"Coward."

"At least my people aren't so preoccupied with death they have to make a whole goddamn theatrical ritual over it and have twenty million poems about the subject!"

_Did he just throw out a racial slur? _Light chose to be diplomatic if only because he wanted to go to sleep sometime within the next 24 hours. "Before we come to blows could you perhaps at least help me out with the situation regarding Misora-san?"

"Like what?"

"Determining why she's earthbound, what it would take to send her on her way and what kind of power she has for starters. I can already tell she's stronger than the usual people I deal with."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll look at her from the Shinigami Realm so she won't notice. But for now, I'm gonna go find an apple tree and just get trashed over the weekend." Ryuk then got up and started to go through the window. Light stopped him.

"It's true what they say, by the way."

"What is?"

"Life is beautiful because it's transient."

"How can you say that to me with a straight face? You're sure not an optimist."

"What passes for optimism is most often the effect of an intellectual error." Light replied seriously. Ryuk then left feeling way more depressed than he entered. Light just sighed and laid back down. Ryuk's immaturity really grated on his nerves at times, enough to wish he would just get bored and go back to his own realm. Still awake, he began to formulate a plan where he would learn the facts about Naomi and Edward's lives so that they could be released from this world and be able to cross over to the spiritual plane. There was one major detail that had eluded Light. An unanswered question which bothered the hell out of the young man...

* * *

"How can you just stand there and tell me you didn't know you died?" Raye asked incredulously. Naomi only shrugged. 

"I just did."

4:00 AM in the morning and he was pacing back and forth in his rather gloomy hotel room. It's been one week since the Flammende Rose incident and Raye still hasn't gotten any decent sleep dealing with the situation about his now broken engagement. It's been one of the strangest weeks in Raye's life with Naomi being a ghost, Naomi actually thinking something bad had happened to him, meeting a with ultra-preppy, teenage clairvoyant and finally Naomi getting so upset at hearing she died that she blew the windows of a wide neighborhood.

"You're just lucky that Light's father was able to manage to control the situation otherwise we'd be in some serious trouble right about now."

"'We' nothing! _You and Light_ would be in some serious trouble. Even though Soichiro Yagami is an NPA big shot, I think Ryuzaki-san is the one who managed to spin it into something realistic Men-in-Black style. I think he even swept the fact you were even involved under the rug."

"Thank God. Telling my bosses at the FBI all of this opens a whole new can worms I'm not ready to deal with yet...and what do you mean 'we nothing'? **You** started all of this!" Raye complained.

"I'm dead! Not like they can sue a dead person for property damage!" Naomi said getting hysterical again. Raye ran a hand over his face as he thought about his part in all of this.

Naomi Misora, his fiancee and former FBI agent died almost one year ago in a car accident. A drunk driver hit her car and she died on impact. Raye remembered in sharp detail the day he was at the morgue to identify her remains.

Four months ago, his mother, father along with Naomi's family swore they all saw Naomi in various places including her room, the reflections off of mirrors and windows. They even heard the sound of her voice sometimes. Raye dismissed most of this as grieving until the day he went to go to the Law Enforcement Conference in Tokyo. It was his first overseas trip since losing Naomi and he was to visit Naomi's parents after seeing them at the funeral.

_Raye had the suitcase parked outside the apartment door. He unplugged all the appliances. He already told the post office to hold all the mail until his return. He check his pocket for the plane ticket for Tokyo and the envelope was all tightly arranged. As he checked his digital watch he noticed he still had his engagement ring on after all this time. He bit the corner of his lip then made a conscious decision. He went over to the entertainment center where there was a framed picture of Naomi. Quietly he slipped his ring off his finger and placed it in front of the photo._

_"I'll be back." Raye then placed his ring in front of the picture. As he walked out the door something out of the ordinary happened._

_"Okay, I'll be here."_

_Raye startled at hearing Naomi's voice but no one else was in the room or hallway. Shaken, the agent locked the door and took his suitcase with him._

"Damn it." Raye growled with frustration as he got up from the bed a broke out a rather large bottle of whiskey from the drawer and started to get a glass out and put on the nightstand.

"Raye, don't even try it!!" Naomi shrieked as the glass flew from the nightstand and crashed into the wall telekinetically.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't go all Carrie as long as I couldn't defend myself!"

"I don't want you getting drunk unless I can get drunk too!"

"Great logic in that!"

"Better than choosing a course of action on your own and then telling me that we both agreed upon it."

"Are you STILL sore about being a stay at home mom? Is that why you decided to haunt me?" Raye was at the end of his rope and was going to take a gulp straight from the bottle.

"No, I'm here because I only wanted to see you, jackass!" Naomi then made the bottle fly out of Raye's hand and crash into the wall.

"Keep it down in there!" the neighbors yelled through the wall.

"SHUT UP!" Naomi roared angrily and somehow she made all the lights in hotel black out.

Raye shuddered and slumped down in a sitting position with his back against the bed. This was all too much to take in all at once and he wanted to shut down. Raye's face was very pale and he was on the verge of breaking out in a cold sweat. He then summoned from his heart and soul a reserve that was a heady mixture of fortitude and pure machismo even though the latter part was purely there to keep him from running out of the room screaming. He then looked directly at Naomi (who now had a strange unearthly glow when the lights went out) and spoke frankly.

"You don't remember how you died, right?"

"Yes."

"What made you search for me then?" Naomi seemed to have a very large amount of chagrin on her face at the moment.

"I got scared somehow."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much."

"Aside from loving me, which I know you do, why are you hanging around me when there's a whole world out there?"

"I don't think I can leave you now even if I could."

"Naomi...talk to me." Naomi then looked extremely ashamed and embarrassed.

"I'm dead, I don't know what to do or where to go. I feel...I feel goddamn powerless. I can hurt people real easy and not even know it. Above all...I need you to..."Naomi closed her eyes. Raye could tell her pride was splintering fast. "Damn it, don't make me grovel like this!" Naomi's hands balled up into fists. Raye then sensing her unwanted position as the damsel in distress decided to step up to the plate anyway.

Because that's what she wanted to ask of him.

"I'll take care of you." Naomi opened her eyes.

"How? We don't even know where to start."

"Doesn't matter, I'll get Light-kun and that Ryuzaki person and we'll figure something out. We'll hold a seance, we'll get the new age music on, I'll even start juggling knives if it can get you to where you need to go." The young agent then got a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from a coat pocket hanging in the closet. _There he goes again_ Naomi thought bitterly. _Directly taking control and receiving any blows goddamn stoically. _Secretly, she knew that this is what she wanted, to step back and just let Raye take care of the whole situation_ I don't want to be the strong one here, but this is still my own life we're talking about here. The last time I stepped back, I was unhappy and it's not being fair to him to try and understand something even I don't know about. _Naomi, however, had no real options at the moment except for the plan Raye had laid out for them. New age music, knife juggling and all. There were sirens heard in the distance as well as a couple of helicopters. There probably was some response to the instant blackout cause by her bickering with Raye earlier. She saw he had dressed in a night robe and had proceeded to go out into the balcony to have a smoke. She went behind him. It was almost pitch black in the immediate vicinity and surrounding buildings untouched by the neighborhood blackout shone like glass castles. This being Tokyo, the early darkness of the morning was still extremely bright with manufactured light. He took a long drag from his cigarette.

"How can you say goodbye to a person whom you didn't want to and had no intention to anyway?" he asked. Naomi stood beside him and tried to brush his windswept hair but found that she couldn't. She brushed away a long strand of her own hair out of her face very nervously.

"You don't. You don't have to if you don't want to. Not really." She really wanted to hold his hand or touch his face right now but for some reason she was now very intangible, without form and now very aware of her post-mortem status. "People come together then leave our lives just as suddenly as well. There's so many things we might want to tell them but then lose the opportunity to." The cold breeze ran through Raye's body but Naomi's words kept him focused. "If they were treated with love and respect, then I'm sure they already know what hasn't been said already." Naomi's face flushed at this sentiment but Raye took another drag of his cigarette.

"Say the word and I'll jump. Right here, right now, no questions asked." he said without any hint of hesitation. Naomi much to her secret horror let out an honest, blunt response.

"I'd say yes but I don't think it would help my situation any."

"Getting to the heart of all this, you came looking for me right?"

"I'd hope you would be the one who could take me home." Naomi couldn't look at him now. Raye gave a bitter snort and a small cough. "Who said I was going to let you go home tonight?" Naomi remembered that was their first shared pick up line and code phrase for sleeping together. Even in those first days he was rather aggressive, and she loved him for it.

"I won't."

"Good." He then finished the remainder of his cigarette and got another one ready. Naomi reasoned he was probably going to smoke the whole pack in one go. She then saw a blinking light across the way into another building. It seemed like it was a signal light of some kind.

"Look across the street."

"Yeah, what is that?" Then the power to the neighborhood suddenly restored and they saw very much who it was.

L swinging his bright cell phone light by his forefinger and thumb and waving at them in the office floor directly across from them. "What the fuck? Isn't that building locked for the night?" Raye exclaimed. Naomi was a bit thrown that he went through that much trouble but just then she had a feeling what would happen next. Raye's cell phone started to ring. "Are you shitting around with me?"

"This is mild compared to what rumors I've been hearing."

"It's him isn't it?"

"Poker face time, boy. This is what you wanted." Raye then immediately snapped to professional agent mode.

"Let's see what can be done then. Hello...?"


	5. Death Becomes Him

Disclaimer: Death Note does not belong to me. "Death Blooms" belongs to Mudvayne. This is a not for profit work.

**Author's Note**: "James Grieve" is a special name so look it up. James was supposed to be in the first 4 chapters and only now Edward gets introduced but things got turned around. :P Naomi and Edward will be bowing out soon but James will be in it for the long haul because...

* * *

_The darkness overcomes_

_Soul soars to the other plane_

_Existence past the door_

_I sail through purgatory's bay..._

Mudvayne "Death Blooms"

* * *

Name 05: Death Becomes Him

It was around 1:00AM at night when Ryuk flew over the Greater Tokyo skyline. The shadow of his graceful black wings seemed to absorb any ambient light from the night sky. Although the Shinigami promised Light he was going to help out with Naomi and Edward, Ryuk decided to push that aside to the last possible moment since Light was being such a wet blanket. He also wanted to check in on a special somebody first. Ryuk soared over the grid like pattern of the city buildings and streets below with a strength and bearing that contrasted with his twisted, monstrous appearance. He made his way to a certain penthouse suite in a high rise, upper class apartment building. Ryuk phased through the locked balcony window as if it were nothing. The black clad god checked out the surroundings of the front room. There was a flatscreen HD TV on the wall and it was connected to a Sony PS3. The chairs and sofa were all in black leather and the coffee table and kitchen table was all in stainless steel. Ryuk noticed on a shelf a picture of a white, black haired teenage male and a Japanese businessman with greying hair in his mid to late 40's. The older man had his arm around the younger guy and the two appeared to be at a club. He chuckled a bit and went straight to the kitchen rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Hey!" shouted a voice behind him.

"Yo! Got any apples?" was all Ryuk said as he turned around and saw the young man in the photo though all he had on was some boxer shorts.

The young man ran over to the Shinigami and for lack of a better word _glomped_ him!

"Fuck man! Where did you go off to? Left me all to my lonesome!" The man clung onto Ryuk as if he were some kind of oversized teddy bear, burying his face in Ryuk's chest. Ryuk for his part ruffled the guy's hair with his huge claw like hand and gave a cocky half grin.

"Hey James. Just the usual, running around, kickin ass, taking names. Literally, in my case hyuk, hyuk!"

"I thought you were attached to me since...well, _you know_..."

"Ya know Light-boy is a special case. Speakin' of _you know what, _have you been writing in it?"

"Just a few. A terminal cancer patient, a coma victim, and some guy in the last stages of AIDS. I've actually been waiting for you to hang out with."

"Hyuk, hyuk. All you ever kill are those ready to die."

"Of course, I'll only use your gift to bring mercy to those who need it." James said brightly. "So, if you can wander freely, why did you come back?"

"Light's being a depressing sad sack of shit and I wanted to hang out with someone fun for the weekend. Now, where the fuck are those apples you like spoiling me with?"

"I got something better."

"Ohhh?"

"Massive jugs of apple cider the size of a cat."

"BRING IT ON MOTHERFUCKER!! BRING IT ON!!"

* * *

The impromptu hotel room conference held in L's room ranks as one of the most awkward events Raye Penber had ever experienced and that included the mandatory sexual harassment classes his department took a few years back. The luxurious suite with the ridiculous amount of amenities could not gloss over the discomfort he was feeling at this time. As he sat at one end of the coffee table the agent could not help but notice he was in good company. Soichiro Yagami and a few of his subordinates from the NPA also huddled around the table with L at the head of the table sitting with his knees up to his chin. Everyone looked as uncomfortable as Raye felt. The gothic decor littered with English heraldry and velvet made the room feel compressed and artifical. _It's as if though I'm at an AA meeting sponsored by Prince. _Raye thought.

"You probably think you all are gathered here today because of the incident at Flammende Rose. To a certain extent this is true." L said as he ate through a box of assorted bon-bons. "All of you, except for Agent Penber here, were involved in the investigation-slash-cover up of the explosion that happened."

"Yes. It seems strange we're all here though. It feels like a conspiracy when there isn't a need for one." Soichiro Yagami spoke in manner to try and ease the tense atmosphere in the room.

"To put it bluntly, we're gathered here today because all assembled claim to be haunted by ghosts at some point in their lives." said L as he started to lick the dark chocolate swirls off another bon-bon. All the men in the room started to laugh nervously (Matsuda a bit too much, but still nervous) and fidget. "As I hear no denials coming from you gentlemen, I can assume all that are present here believe that the restaurant incident was a paranormal occurrence."

"There were no traces of gunpowder or chemicals at all where the blast supposedly originated. There were no jumps in seismic activity in the area either." Chief Yagami said as he looked directly at L. "My son was there however and he always brings forth spiritual activity both positive and negative."

"Ah, so that was your son on 51 Report then?" Matsuda said with a surprise. His coworkers held back a wince as it was a sore spot for the Chief to have his only son on the cover of a cheap, paranormal speculation magazine. L interjected though.

"Putting that aside for the moment, I want to inform all of you that I came to this place because I received word that this country is undergoing some type of massive paranormal activity. I only wish to try and resolve all of it for the good of the people."

"That sounds fine and everything, but what can we do?" Mogi asked the detective.

"You can start by telling me your stories so I'll know more about what I'm dealing with. We'll gather clues and information and then formulate a plan to resolve any paranormal situations one at a time." L then looked at the entire group. "So, gentlemen who will start first?" The NPA men all looked at each other back and forth nervously giving signals to motion themselves to start. They weren't in any particular hurry to begin. _A brilliant example of why I won't be teaching Speech in college anytime soon_. L mused as he silently worked his way through the entire box of assorted gourmet bon-bons. The confection was so decadent and the texture had the right amount of firmness and cream. As the group was still trying to decide who would go first L resolved that these brand of bon-bons would be the only thing he'll have for the rest of day and he'll have some extra boxes once the meeting was over. He wanted to give the treats the extra attention they clearly deserved from him. _I wonder what that Light fellow is up to right now? Probably asleep. Will he taste as good as this or even better? I better make my move soon. _While L was keeping quiet, Raye took some initiative and stood up.

"My name is Raye Penber, FBI. And I've been haunted by a ghost for the past month."

"Hello Agent Penber!"The NPA underlings all said in perfect unison. _Yep, totally an AA meeting. _Raye grumbled to himself at being put on the spot. L remained impassive but noticed Chief Yagami's embarassment. _Where are we, in first grade now? _the Chief thought trying hard not to hide his face because of his subordinates.

* * *

Edward was sitting on the roof of his house at a loss of what to do. His own funeral was to happen soon and many people that he once knew, both adults and kids, had been in and out of his house talking with his father. Edward for his part went and just sat there for most of the week not knowing what to do or what he _could_ do in a situation like this.

Whenever you get lost, stay in one place so you can be found.

Edward used to get bored after five minutes of inactivity but now he was able to sit for hours and days on end without even blinking. He was angry at it. Scared. Depressed. Not hungry or tired anymore.

_What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What--_

A train of thought without end. Everyone on the streets looked like ants. Maybe they'd take his thoughts and feelings and carry them all away. Along with parts of his body and parts of his soul. But they couldn't see him. Couldn't touch him. Couldn't talk to him. They weren't allowed to anyway even if he was alive. Only his father could. He saw the police take his next door neighbor away who started all of this. Why did this happen? Why did my happiness end? Why is my life over? Those would be the questions Edward would ask if he could.

_What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What-_

Edward held his knees in his arms while sitting on the roof. Loneliness, anger, sadness. Loneliness, anger, sadness. Loneliness, anger, sadness. Loneliness, anger, sadness.

_What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What-_

Rocking back and forth he also thought he'd make a pretty sorry weather vane for his house. He drew one on a picture of his house in class and everyone laughed at him. He put his hands to his ears. Everyone's laughter was ringing in his ears, but it was not an unkind sound. Not at all. It was the laughter that he wanted everyone to have. The laughter and joy people needed to have to live in the world.

The world that left him behind.

"You in training to be a raccoon dog statue now?" a voice spoke. Somehow Naomi was standing on the roof with Edward.

"What can I do? What _did_ I do?" Edward yelled as he nearly tackled Naomi and started sobbing. Even though both did not have physical bodies anymore Naomi could tell Edward was shaking.

"Nothing. And it's okay. It's really okay." She said as she embraced the young child.

It took about a couple of hours before Edward calmed down enough before she started talking again. "There's a gathering now. People there who may be able to help us. If you want, I'll take you to them."

"Take me to see Light-kun."

"I don't know where he lives."

"You found me."

"T-that's true." Naomi stood up. "Let's go for a walk." Edward was hesitant but the two suddenly found themselves on the street and walking towards anywhere. Anywhere that took them away from where they were. "Dying is a process." Naomi said awkwardly because she didn't have any real experience with children.

"Lady, you're telling me!" Naomi flinched. This was going to be hard no two ways about it. Edward rubbed his sleeve on his nose. After walking around the block aimlessly, Edward spoke again. "I'm miserable and I don't think it will ever stop. You feel the same?"

"Yeah, yeah I do."

"I feel sad when other people die, but it's nothing compared to this." Edward then crouched on the sidewalk in a pose that Naomi recognized as the international symbol for total immobility.

"Don't be that way, come on."

"I can't take another step. It hurts. It hurts more...'

"More what?" Naomi asked knowing she wouldn't like the answer.

"More than when his hands were around my neck." he whispered back. Edward looked like he was going to lie down on the sidewalk.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't give up now. You got this far!"

"We ran around the block in a circle! Oh yeah and I'm DEAD!" Naomi crouched beside the hysterical child.

"Can you try and go a little further?"

"Forming words, steps... it all hurts."

"I know. But can you try it anyway?"

"Why?" Naomi took a breath and pled her case.

* * *

Ryuk gave out a loud belch as he finished slamming his third jug of apple cider. His human friend was right behind him giving the Shinigami a back massage.

"BUURP! Aw, fuck, no one's ever treated me this good before. Ever."

"It's gonna get better, only better!" The young man hopped off the couch and went into a cabinet under the sink. When he came back out he dropped an entire burlap sack bursting with apples at the death god's feet.

"Umm, I can't really screw humans. You know that right?"

"A bit much over apples."

"I'm just saying it's almost like you're sucking my cock at this point. And swallowing."

"I likened it to having a straight up OD on morphine."

"Hey, let's play Lego Star Wars!"

"Sure. You're Darth Maul or Boba Fett this time?"

"Maul, I think. But lemme at some of these apples first."

"Go ahead, they're for you." So after a massacre of almost half the sack, James sat right beside Ryuk without any fear or contempt. Ryuk turned on the TV with the remote and actually pulled the young human closer to him. It was a cozy and surreal scene especially with the emptied jugs of cider and shambles of apple cores. A late news report told of a couple of doctors who were in custody on suspicion of a rash murders involving patients who were in a vegetative state. Some of the families wanted to prolong their lives but some other (more immediate) family members wanted to end their lives since the patients weren't really living or even moving around.

"This your work?"

"Yeah, the doctors should get off since I made it totally natural with no evidence pointing to them. It just so happens those two doctors did more than one case involving PVS patients. I know I should have did a little more research but I didn't want to be anywhere near the hospital in the off chance they link me to this sort of thing just because I was there."

"Awfully small chance for that, eh?"

"The Death Star had a small chance of blowing up yet it did."

"Can't argue with that." The two just did some channel surfing for a little bit with only the TV for ambient light since none of the other lights in the apartment were on.

"Ryuk, if I have...'it'...why won't you stay with me then?"

"Hmm, well technically I am attached to you since you got it. But I said Light's a special case right?"

"Yeah, but how special?"

"Not sure if I wanna tell ya."

"You don't know, I'll bet."

"Nah, I know! Ok, ok I'll tell a little bit, but ya gotta not pester me about it because it's really a BIG FUCKIN deal. This is because I don't want you involved in it."

"Worried about me?"

"Do you wanna know or not?"

"Go ahead then." James put the TV on mute and let Ryuk talk a while a laundry detergent commercial played.

"Yeah, I'm totally bound to you cause of what happened, but Light Yagami has a power sleeping inside of him that just absolutely transcends what we as Shinigami do. I sort of attached myself to that dormant power and now I can stay on earth as much as I want to."

"Wouldn't the King be a bit alarmed about this rule breaking?"

"If the King ever found out about Light we'd be in the live-action version of Revelations right about now."

"Harsh."

"You said it." _Never mind that it could happen anyway if Light wakes up. His power is over death on a far greater scale than the Death Note Record System. _Ryuk then chuckled. It was a good thing Light didn't notice Ryuk's Death Note on the many times he's been with him or it would have kick-started a worldwide killing spree. Not that Ryuk didn't want to see that but he was not as dumb as many people said he was.

If Light somehow awakened there would be a very strong chance the world could end.

"Still, ever since I found the Death Note you dropped, I was hoping I could see more of you."

"Why do ya like me so much? It's like I have a boyfriend or something."

"You're a god. Isn't that reason enough?"

"So why won't you make the eye trade then?"

"Because if half my life is gone, I won't be able to help you as much as you need it. DUH!"

"You're way different from Light."

"Because I would live only for what you want. You descended to this plane because you wanted something better than what you had in your old world. If nothing else I'm sure you're just absolutely frustrated you can't do ANYTHING life related, what humans do. Love, create, imagine, hope. So, because you gave me your power...' James then sat in front of Ryuk in an exact lapdog position to which Ryuk simply petted and caressed the human automatically. 'I'll give you mine."

"I'll use you up till there's nothing left."

"Just like a god."

"Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk." Ryuk draped his arm around James and held an apple in front of him. Without any hesitation the young boy took a large bite out of it while the Shinigami held on to it.

This was James Grieve, 19 years old. Scribe and owner of the Death Note. A follower of Ryuk.

* * *

It was five minutes before daybreak and all the other people went home for the night. L stood slouching in front of the white satin curtains and looked toward the horizon. As much as he was obsessed over the Yagami boy, L knew there was something far more important that about to take place on the stage that was Japan. He could feel it. Though he never had spiritual powers to call his own his body seemed to resonate with the energy of everyone's stories. All of the fears, doubts and pains. Though for the most part the NPA group's collective stories all seemed mundane it was still enough to base an investigation on.

_Though I'm not a great believer in ghosts, what happened with Misora and Yagami's fears about his son are more than enough to start something. We'll find away to get Misora to cross over, then I'll probe Light's involvement with the paranormal. I'll probably have to rig the house with surveillance cameras top to bottom in hopes of catching something on camera. I think I want to look into a group of suspicious deaths as well._ But what was he trying to prove? Yes, ghosts existed and there was an afterlife. Many people believed that already. Was he trying to believe in it himself? Even when presented with total proof of the supernatural it didn't sit well with L. It meant that there were forces greater than himself and mankind. As a secular humanist this was something intolerable. _What should I do next in this place? What can I do? _L had one last bon-bon left. He didn't want to give it up, because it would be gone along with the pleasure that came with it. Very briefly, L thought he saw Light in the reflection of the window just looking at him. _Did you want to meet me too? Or did you warn me to stay away? _L began to juggle the bon-bon in his hand. The sky began to change from a sea of black to a turquoise color. People were looking to L for answers he didn't have.

_"Forming words, steps... it all hurts."_

_"I know. But can you try it anyway?"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because every step you take will change the world. It's hard to explain but even a footprint is proof of your life. Right now, we can help each other's suffering. We can understand things, even if it's just a little bit. We can talk to whomever we want, if they listen, great! If not we'll try someone else! We still laugh, cry, rage and yes even hurt as we did before. There's so much that can still be done, that has yet to be done. We can do it all, simply because we're human and we're meant to do it all, but only if we walk forward with each step. At least that what I believe." Naomi then helped Edward up._

_"I felt where Papa was so finding Light-kun would be a snap."_

_"Okay, let's try him first then."_

The sun rose and L felt as if he was bathing in the morning sunshine. The few people who saw him mistook him for a creature of the night when in fact he lived in a secret land. A place between the days. Where darkness and the daylight had equal weight. He ate and savored the last bon-bon.

_I know now. _


	6. Inerasable Sin

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. This is a not for profit work._ Demian_ belongs to Hermann Hesse.

Author's Note: You don't have to read _Demian_ by Hermann Hesse to really get Naomi and Light's conversation later on. It would be in your best interest to look up "Abraxas" though, as the concept plays a significant part later on. And before you ask no, Abraxas is not the being that is talking to Light. Some of you in the audience might figure it out though.

P.S: The M Rating is a factor in this story. Please be aware.

* * *

_You consider yourself odd at times, you accuse yourself of taking a road different from most people. You have to unlearn that. Gaze into the fire, into the clouds, and as soon as the inner voices begin to speak surrender to them, don't ask first whether it's permitted or would please your teachers or father, or some god. You will ruin yourself if you do that._

_--Pistorius_

_from Hermann Hesse's "Demian"_

* * *

Name 06: Inerasable Sin

The mournful landscape in the Shinigami Realm looked like a distorted monochrome hell. The sky was a pale shade of slate grey and the trees (if you can call them that) looked liked they were writhing in pain. The blades of grass on the twisted plain were as sharp as razors and it was colder than the worst winter when the winds blew. The race of beings known as the Shinigami made their home here. Fearsome, considered neither man nor beast, many times they are known as the "Gods of Death" as recorded in human language. They spend most of their eternal lives in an endless stretch of monotonous insanity. To combat this fate many Shinigami travel and live in groups or 'clans' in order to stave off loneliness and insanity. However, spending eternity seeing the same people day in and day out is bound to be nerve-wracking even with the best of comrades. The upside to this is that a closely knit group of friends tend to be very gossipy and try to scrounge for pieces of news, as is the case of a certain clan of Shinigami.

"Seven! I win again."

"Damn it, no wonder nobody wants to play knucklebones with you, you're too rich!"

"I'll take those stylish pilot's goggles from you now."

"Eyaah!"

"Ah, don't be a baby! If you like them so much hang around me 'til 'ya win 'em back!"

"I'm gonna have to!" the blue scaled Shinigami sobbed. Just then a Shinigami with a vulture's face walked over towards the other two.

"Has anyone seen Sir Layabout?"

"If you're talkin about Ryuk he dropped his Death Note upon the Material Plane."

"Man, wasn't that ages ago?"

"Time flows differently between the realms. If he doesn't come back soon I'll go and announce an opening for our clan."

"Aww, don't do that! Ryuk's like our leader or some shit!" the blue scaled Shinigami cried.

"More like our mascot." the Shinigami with the newly won goggles replied. "The dude is totally our clan's strongest member, yet he happens to be the laziest son of a bitch _bar none_." he complained. Just then a death god all decked out in blue and grey warpaint with a pure white mohawk passed by and chimed in.

"Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a massive amount of aether gathering on the Material Plane?" Aether was the spiritual energy created by souls.

"Are you serious? Where?" The death god with the goggles exclaimed.

"Where Ryuk descended to look for his Death Note."

"Shit, that could be bad. Earthbound types can feed off that energy and become more powerful than they should be. It's like willpower on steroids! Do you think Ryuk would have something to do with this?"

"Why would Ryuk do such a crazy thing? The old man will blow a fuse if he finds out."

"You know, it would be JUST TYPICAL, if Ryuk didn't know a damn thing about it."

"Maybe we should talk to Justin about it and see what he thinks?" the blue scaled Shinigami asked.

"Oh no, _you _go talk to Justin. That overblown, egotistical, grubby, jewel miser wears me out!" The death god started to wear the goggles now. The white mohawked death god then sighed.

"Has anyone seen either Gelus or Rem lately? I haven't heard a peep out of either of them for so long." At this point a halfway beautiful death god that was shaped like a naked harpy with wings passed by and joined in the circle of conversation.

"Sorry, I haven't seen either of them." the harpy-like death god replied "If you are wondering about Ryuk I got some scathingly outrageous news."

"Oh, like what?" the vulture faced Shinigami replied in a dismissive fashion.

"Last I heard, Ryuk has a human follower that worships him."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"WHAAAAAT?" The other four Shinigami bellowed in pure astonishment.

* * *

L's hotel room was hooked up to at least seven different laptops all of which were processing data. The rest of the rooms had piles of boxes which contained evidence and information from the NPA's cold case files. Though strings had to be pulled to get these boxes to the hotel suite, the very surprising lack of reluctance on the NPA's part led L to believe these were not merely 'cold cases' but outright 'X-Files' or things that could not be explained at all. Matsuda and Aizawa carted another dolly of brown boxes up to the hotel room while Raye and Soichiro looked though some files. Watari made a large pot of black coffee for the whole crew while Mogi and Ukita were looking at some computer printouts. L was staring out the window in the afternoon sky, slouched over and tugging at the corner of his mouth with his index finger. _Should I ask? Should I wait? I think I'll ask because I want to see him again. Plus, the look on his face would be a once in a lifetime event for him._

"Whew, that's the last of them! At least, the ones they'll let us have for now." Matsuda exclaimed as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"I hope you are all not under the impression that we will be doing the entire collection all at one time?" L said with a slight air of haughtiness. _Not that I need all of you for something as simple as that._

"I know I won't. You do realize once Naomi is taken care of I'm going back home." Raye said as he put back the file he was reading.

"That's perfectly fine with me, but after that we'll be down one member. Since this is mostly unofficial business anyway I was thinking of getting some outside help."

"Whom did you have in mind?" Aizawa asked. L took a small breath then made his move.

"Yagami-san?"

"Yes?" Soichiro replied slowly. He knew what was going to be asked.

"I've been reading about all of your son's accomplishments and unique talent. Do you think it would be possible to ask him if wants to join in our little investigation?" Chief Yagami gave a long suffering sigh. Raye looked up knowing Light and L met already but decided not to say anything yet.

"He doesn't like to use his power in such a blatant fashion but with the group's personal stories I don't think he'll refuse." He then, as a nervous tell, ran his hand through his hair. "I believe he would be a great asset to not only what we are trying to accomplish here but to find any other underlying spiritual activity."

"Splendid." L said flatly still not turning to face the team. "Go ahead and arrange a meeting for us at his own leisure. Tell him that L wishes to see him."

"Right, I'll try and ask him this evening. Please be aware he's got to study for his college entrance exams very soon so he won't have much available free time."

"I understand. I just wish to talk with him and see his power in action."

"It can be quite...disturbing to say the least."

"Good, I need to be disturbed every so often." _I don't _Chief Yagami thought aggravated but didn't say that out loud.

* * *

It was Monday afternoon and Ryuk never made it back to the Yagami household. Light almost got upset but decided to not stress out over the whole matter. He was going to devote both his time and energy to academic studies and to Naomi and Edward's current situation. He was in his English Class and the atmosphere was damp and suffocating. Everyone was either goofing off or struggling with translation to one of Light's favorite novels, _Demian_ by Hermann Hesse, and Light couldn't stand it. The minutes stretched out from one agonizing moment to another as a bunch of simpletons butchered the text until a cold wind began to blow through the classroom. Papers fell to the floor in a shambles and two students rushed to close the open windows. Light looked up to see both Naomi and Edward standing behind the English teacher. Light nodded quickly and they both vanished. _It took both of you long enough. Did you two want to go together or something?_

"That was strange. I guess the windy season has arrived." the clueless teacher remarked. _Just in time to increase my workload. Oh well, this is what I do._ Light thought as he kept to himself for the rest of the school day. After school, Light offered to stay behind and clean the classroom to which the guy whose turn it was to clean up felt grateful. As soon as he was completely alone in the room Light closed all the shades which made the place darker and more intimate.

"We were trying to decide on what to ask you Light-kun." Edward spoke as he and Naomi materialized.

"It took you both a long time. Since a week and a half ago."

"Yeah, we were attempting to come to terms over the whole...ah..._not living_...thing." Naomi said as she seemingly sat upon Light's desk while crossing her legs. Light had to admit that Naomi looked rather impressive dressed in her black leather jacket. She sat on his desk like she owned the whole classroom.

"I really appreciated that both of you didn't try and talk with me in class."

"That was Misora-san's idea. She figured that all kinds of people must try and talk with you.We agreed it'd be best to talk when you had some free time." Edward said as he took a seat. "So come on and tell us what we need to know. The suspense is...uhhh, not doing nice things for us." Edward finished lamely.

"Probably making us stronger at this rate." Naomi grumbled. _Not too far from the truth._ Light thought to himself before turning to both of them.

"Both of you are earthbound spirits. Souls that can't cross over to the afterlife. Usually, the process of crossing over is automatic. Once life ends the spirit will recognize that there is nothing left for them on the Material Plane, or our world for a better name, and the path to the afterlife will automatically show itself, like a door." Light explained as Naomi and Edward listened intently. "However if a spirit holds onto strong, negative emotions then those feelings become an anchor that prevents them from leaving this world. Staying in this world for too long will cause the earthbound spirit to be in pain because of the friction between staying in a world not meant for them and resisting the natural course of things." _Is that what happened on my roof? _Edward thought.

"How do you fit into all of this then?" she asked. Light gave a confidence boosting smile.

"I can see the earthbound and guide them to the other side. When I can identify what's holding the spirit to this world and resolve it, the way to the afterlife will open enabling the spirit to cross. This is called a_ release_." Light spoke in a calm, informative matter. Naomi was already piecing things together. _So in order to get released we have to target what's holding us back. Obviously in my case it has something to do with Raye. But what could hold Edward-kun back aside from the unfairness of life cut short?_ "Sometimes the conditions for a release can be straightforward or they can be complicated. Sometimes the spirit will think the condition is one thing when it's something completely different. Other times it's exactly what the spirit said it is." Light explained.

Edward then piped up. "It's different from person to person because every person is a different person, right?"

"Um...yeah." Light replied a little thrown by the phrasing.

"So, what's holding us back?" Naomi asked.

"I don't know. You have to tell me."said Light.

"We were hoping you could tell us." Edward whined a little. Naomi and Light both sighed noting they were getting nowhere fast.

"Okay, look, it's getting late and I'm sure you need to get going. Why not set up something like a séance for us when you have the chance?"

"Technically speaking we're in a séance right now." Light said as he gathered his books and started to put them in his school bag.

"Oh?"

"A séance is a meeting for the purpose of receiving messages from ghosts or spirits. It can also mean listening to a spirit medium discourse with or relay messages from spirits. This is a one on one meeting between human and spirit but there are stage mediumship séances, leader assisted séances, channeling sessions, spirit board writing...neither of you have any idea what I'm talking about do you?" Light said noticing their blank stares.

"Yeah, but you can walk us through it. An expert can always make things easier for those who don't understand what the problem is." Naomi explained.

"Since Penber-san can see you why not have him and anyone else you want gather at my house and we can have a brainstorming session and an informal séance right there."said Light.

"I suppose I'll have to tell you things only they would know, right?" Naomi said being a quick study. Light grinned in return.

"We have to show proof that you're here talking somehow. Though not in Penber-san's case, of course."

"I could try and juggle again like I did before."Edward said standing up from his chair.

"That would be good but remember this session is to determine what is keeping you from resting in peace."

"That could be a lot of things." Edward spoke with a bit of sadness.

"And we will figure those things out. The important thing is that we got help." Naomi reassured the young boy. She then thought of something "Uh-oh. We may have to get Edward's family involved in this."

"Just my dad. He's the only one that's alive right now."

"That's so sad." Naomi said struck by this little boy's confession.

"It's okay. Papa had to work a lot but I was never lonely or wanting. We are...we _were_...very happy to have each other."Edward tried not making a face at going past tense.

"I'll have to find a way to get your father to attend this session without me sounding like a crazy person."said Light as he put away his already finished calculus homework he did during his lunch period into the bag.

"I can help with that. Papa has always been a little hard to talk to but now its impossible."

"We'll see" was all Light would answer with. At this time, Naomi noticed Light putting away the book he was studying in English class.

"Ah man, you kids have to study_ Demian_ too?" she said a bit surprised.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" Light wasn't interested in what Naomi had to say about his favorite novel but figured he was in for a earful regardless.

"I couldn't understand the text very well." Naomi admitted. "But as I struggled to read it, in my opinion I thought Emil Sinclair was a rather weak person."Emil Sinclair was the protagonist of _Demian_. The novel was a story of his life and the people he met on the way.

"Oh, really? Why would you think that?" Light was surprised to hear Naomi feel the same way he did about the main character.

"Just that he seemed wimpy and always bounced from person to person in his life. First off, he wouldn't even stand up to Kromer when he was being blackmailed then he clung to Demian then to Alfons Beck, then to Pistorius only to rebound back to Demian again in the end. Not to mention his over the top obsessions with Beatrice and Eva."

"I can see why you thought of him as a weak man. It always appeared that Sinclair would never stand up for himself and had to rely on other stronger men to lift him from his depression and sadness." Light said to Naomi. At this time Edward went over to the chalk board and started drawing pictures.

"I know! He was practically pining over that Max Demian guy. The whole book just seemed to be a journal of him waiting for Demian to come back into his life." As Naomi kept talking about Sinclair's faults Light formed a plan. _While I'm not usually part of the Saturday Café Book Club crowd I think I'll use this as a way to find out what she's really feeling._

"So what did you think of Demian himself then?"

"Oh...' Naomi sighed. She remembered having this type of conversation with her literature teacher, her parents and ultimately even Raye during various points in her former life. 'he was different. He was smart, handsome, a good speaker and little older than Sinclair when they met in school. I know he didn't meet anyone like him before and of course he saved him from that bully Kromer. I think Sinclair really was into him only because his beliefs were radically different from the ones his own parents tried to instill in him."

"I think it was more than just that. I always thought that Sinclair liked Demian not just because his beliefs were different but because Demian was completely at ease with it. You know how sometimes a person will say they believe one thing even though in the back of their mind there was always skepticism?"

"Oh yeah, uh-huh."

"In the time frame when _Demian_ was written and takes place everyone in society had to really conform to one set of beliefs and live a certain way. Those that didn't would be considered outcasts and most would despise those people."

"But isn't that like today?"

"Yes and no. While going against the crowd and believing what you want to believe may still have a stigma attached to it most times people will be able to find like people or just simply live out their lives. This is because there are a lot of people out there that would say 'It's okay, don't be ashamed'." Naomi nodded. "But in the time of _Demian_ any kind of contrary belief, especially religious, was pure blacklist material. So anybody who had a different set of beliefs, even philosophers and artists, would be nervous and strung out just a little bit."

"But not Demian!"

"Exactly. Demian exuded confidence and bearing seemingly because of his radical thought. I mean during the Mark of Cain discussion you could clearly see that."

"Oh, right. The whole Cain is not an evil person argument. I don't know though. Murder is still murder. The whole survival of the fittest thing just seems like an excuse to throw out the sanctity of life tenet."Naomi said as she looked over towards Edward. _Sanctity of life. There's a belief that's useless. It prevents us from doing what needs to be done. It lets the filth walk our streets. Makes people believe their more special than they ever had a right to..._Light's thoughts tore through his head like a bulldozer. Inside his own mind and heart he despised the rest of the world. He was unrepentant about it. He had yet to find someone, anyone that he could share his life with the way both Naomi and Edward did with their friends and family. He watched as Naomi laughed at the drawings Edward did of the Animal Crossing characters he drew on the chalkboard.

"I'm not really a fan of Animal Crossing, I'm more of Pokémon guy but all the girls at my school like it." Edward explained as he drew Rolf the tiger.

"Really? Last I heard a lot of girls liked Pokémon too." Naomi said as she drew a house and some trees.

"Hee, hee. Yeah, I had some good battles with some girls too." Edward then drew a church complete with a cross and some flowers. He drew a picture of a nun and a priest standing in front. "Misora-san? Light-kun?"

"Yeah."Light said snapping out of his black thoughts.

"The place we must go to." Edward turned to Light. "We'll be happy there...right?"

"Nobody came back to me and complained about it." Light responded slowly.

"Is it because they couldn't?" It took a child to ask a question everyone else feared to voice.

"I hope it's a good place. I will have to go there too someday." Light said. His confidence was a little shaken because he didn't have the answers to the questions he knew that would be asked. Furthermore, they were questions he wanted to know for himself.

"Sounds like this place is neither heaven or hell. I wonder if I'll have to fight the bad guys off with a stick if I'm there?" Edward questioned as he drew little birds on top of the church. _That's a very good question, but I was prepared for that one at least. _Light thought as he gave his response.

"Nobody on this earth really knows what's on the other side. But I can guarantee for a fact that when I help open the door the spirit always wanted to go through. Of course they were scared, but staying in place lost all of its appeal in the end. When you see the door opened, you'll know." Light was firm in that belief because it was true. All the ghosts and spirits really wanted to cross over when the path opened so they could leave behind their pain and sorrows. Light knew it was a different place than where Ryuk was from but he never asked Ryuk if he'd been there or not or even if he was allowed in that place. Ryuk would probably keep the whole thing as classified information but Light suspected it would be more like an 'official' top secret rather than just Ryuk screwing around just to be contrary (as usual). "It's getting late and I need to get home to study for my entrance exams soon."

"Okay, then." Edward said as he erased the chalkboard. "If it's a place for everyone then I believe we'll be alright. If not, we'll make it better ourselves." Naomi and Light were a bit surprised at this statement considering the amount of suffering Edward felt just a few days ago. It may have simply been the fact that he was talking to other people more now.

"Hey, Edward. You can stay with me until the séance day if that's alright?" Naomi offered.

"Mmm, sure. I'll go to the hotel then."

"Hang out in the lobby first then I'll take you to the room."

"Fine, but I wanted to spy on what everyone else is doing in the rooms first."

"That's not very nice."

"What are they gonna do? Kill me?" with that Edward vanished as a gust of cold wind blew through. Light had a smirk on his face.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." Naomi grumbled. As Light got up to leave she asked one more question about the novel. "Before you go, could you tell me your thoughts about Abraxas?"

"Abraxas? I have a lot of thoughts about him that I wouldn't know where to start."

"I mean, do you think God and the Devil could exist as the same being?"

"If God made everything in creation then I would think he'd have to be the creator of evil too." Light picked up his book bag and left the classroom while Naomi followed. "I think Abraxas is an ideal meant to teach why evil exists in the world even while believing in a righteous God." Light had on his "model student" persona on while he said this. His statement wasn't entirely a lie. He did think that the god Abraxas was a way to teach about good and evil. What Light kept to himself was that he also thought Abraxas could be used as a way to worship and praise evil as part of the totality of the human experience. To accept evil, pain and suffering without having to give up goodness, charity and faith. _I'm a bit envious of Abraxas when it comes right down to it. Expected to be the source of great misery and sublime joy both at the same time. I want..._Light stopped himself from following that thread further. Yet someday, he knew he wouldn't. He'd let his destructive, profane thoughts and words run free like a waterfall. Or a bloodletting. Someday he'd take his ennui, his source of pain and torment and just...rend every ugly person and thing in his sight. Until the world is how it should be.

_"So why not today? You look absolutely magnificent when you want to hurt someone. The cruelty you keep close to your chest, it's a treasure. Drink of it! Fill your mind and senses of it. Let it wash you away. Annihilate all. Because in the end, no one's worthy of you..."_

Light snapped to attention immediately as he became aware he was standing outside his school. That voice that rang in his mind unbidden. It was his voice, his emotion, _his very being. _Yet it was not one of his own thoughts, not even close.

It was something...better. More like himself than he ever was before.

"So are we okay for around Friday night then?"Naomi said while Light's lightning fast mental faculties kicked in.

"Er, yes! I'll explain the situation to my parents and we can use the house on Friday."

"That settles it then. Are you okay?"

"Hmm..oh sure. Even if it was short I never had such a discussion about the greater picture with a spirit before. I should ask, are _you_ okay?"Light politely asked hiding the fact that he sort of ignored her from his classroom to the outside. Not entirely his fault this time though.

"What more can be said? My life is over." Naomi shrugged before she vanished as another cold gust of wind blew on by. Light looked around as there was nobody in sight as he walked towards home.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

_"The one you've been waiting for. The reason you were born."_

Then dead silence. Light somehow knew whatever it was had left. There was a lot to do before Friday and Light had to get started. It wouldn't be the first time a spirit had stalked him. As he made his way through the crowded streets Light came to the uncomfortable conclusion that this unknown being was telling the truth and that Light somehow was anxious for whatever that overtook him to come back. _I'll be here._ _Waiting._

* * *

"I think you're the shit! You're in a foreign country. Don't know any of the language. You're this CEO's plaything with a whole apartment entirely devoted to just for what you both do. And you got a Death Note on top of all that!" Ryuk said as he sprawled above the silk sheets with his hands behind his head on the giant king sized bed in the master bedroom. James was in the bed underneath the covers. The digital clock radio said 3:57 AM. All the lights were out with only the cityscape providing light through the curtains as was the way Ryuk liked it.

"Yeah, I'm a plaything. A real prize." James said a with more than a little self hatred.

"Don't pretend you don't like screwing that old guy that spoils you. If I could do it I would."

"He's not that old, his hair just grayed earlier than most."

"And nearly every person can't keep his hands off him or stare at him. Humans can be strange sometimes." Speaking of strange, James knew that him and Ryuk were in a fake compromising position right now. Fake because humans and Shinigami could not have sexual relations due to the lack of organs on the Shinigami (in spite of Ryuk's tasteless jokes about penises, vaginas and various combinations thereof). James always wondered how new Shinigami were created. He also believed that Ryuk must be lonely since despite having no sexual contact whatsoever they we're both acting post-coital with Ryuk eating another apple. This time savoring it slowly...and Holy Mother of God actually _sharing it _with another person!! The news break came on and it was broadcast in English as it was an international news break. James took a bite of the apple as the anchor spoke of a murder suicide that happened near a high school overseas. It was supposed to be a prelude to a school massacre complete with a 20 page suicide note and pictures of all the victim's classmates. The story was that one of friends tried to stop him without getting the police involved and that someone found both of them in the backyard of his house, dead. As the sound bites from police, family and community played James turned to Ryuk.

"That was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Hmm?"

"You wanted one of the students at Light's school to start a massacre." Ryuk stopped eating. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"What makes you say that?" Ryuk asked coolly.

"Why else would you throw your Death Note down here, and don't pretend it wasn't on purpose. It was written so that it could be used as soon as it was found."

"..."

"You like it when people's lives are destroyed. Not just killed but actually torn to shreds."

"What about it? Am I supposed to feel bad?"

"I'd feel bad if someone tormented you."

"I'll have to write your name in the Death Note someday."

"I'd rather you kill me with your own hands."

"Not allowed."

"Never stopped you before."

"Hyuk, hyuk, that's the truth."

"I just want to know why you like it when people hurt."

"You have to go out there and rip up a few lives in order to understand."

"Really? I thought just holding the Death Note would be enough. My hands and heart are now bloodstained."

"You don't seem too tormented yourself." James only shrugged.

"I can stop this whenever I want. If I relinquish it, it's over. No memories, no evidence to convict with, a blank slate."

"You won't do it."

"Because..."

"Me. The Death Note is just a bonus to you." The music resumed as a j-pop song began to play. Ryuk ate the rest of his apple as he reached for another one. James turned away from Ryuk a little stung but didn't refute his god at all. Ryuk really wanted to break in a full blown cackle but actually kept his cool. As he bit into the fresh apple he was entertaining some daring thoughts. _Could I? Maybe? I think I could break this law without breaking it. Hmm, maybe..._

Without a second thought Ryuk put his hand under the covers and gave James a deliberate hand job. Almost immediately, James sank down further in the covers and spread his legs out. Three songs later Ryuk's hand was warm and sticky. He lifted it from beneath the covers and began to lick the palm of his hand.

"Master."

"Hyuk, hyuk..yeah?"

"If you want to hurt me. Go ahead."

"Right now?"

"Especially now."

Ryuk had the wildest shit eating grin on as he cracked his knuckles and popped his neck.


End file.
